Sidelines & Headlines

Charlie Winslette and Marvin Barton coached together in Georgia High School Football for 28 years. As a result, each has been a part of more than 350 wins as a coach, either as a head coach or an assistant. They are no longer together, but they remain close. They share ownership of a deck boat and still talk almost daily. Charlie Winslette is now an offensive assistant at Putnam County, his alma m...

Jim Hardin and Blake Giles are back to talk about spring football, and everything else that crosses their mind, like Blake injuring his big toe, Jim going to watch Clemson’s spring football game where Dabo Swinny offered running commentary from the field, Blake went to G-Day and saw seven quarterbacks play, Jake Bobo gets to play for his father, OC Mike Bobo; Auburn turns to Byron Brown, South Flo...

Hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles review the CFP championship game, won by Indiana, 27-21 over Miami, earning the first football title for the school. Then they look at the preseason rankings and the final AP rankings. Twelve teams ranked in the preseason failed to finish in the top 25. Most disappointing? Penn State, Clemson, LSU and Florida. Which team will emerge next year? Has the Big 10 surpas...

Hosts Blake Giles and Jim Harbin look ahead to the CFP Finals. Indiana looks too good to lose. But ex-Bulldog quarterback Carson Beck has played well for Miami. The portal has been busy as usual. Georgia has had less turnover than any team in the SEC. Oklahoma State has had wholesale roster turnover. The NFL playoffs look wide open.

Hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles review the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. Both were surprised that Miami beat Ohio State. They were also surprised by how uncompetitive Texas Tech and Alabama were in their losses to Oregon and Indiana, respectively. They break down Ole Miss’s win over Georgia in a rematch. They agree that it was the great play of Trinidad Chambliss that made the di...

Hosts Blake Giles and Jim Hardin offer congrats to the Georgia state champs. And can Central Macon rediscover glory under a new head coach. There is news in college football. What about the young viral sensation, Nolan McGill, who refused to sing “Rocky Top,” endearing himself to Georgia fans everywhere. Will Muschamp, once the “Coach in Waiting” at Texas, is heading back to Austin to join the sta...

Hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles preview the Georgia High School Association state finals. Then they celebrate—at least Blake does—Georgia’s decisive victory over Alabama in the SEC Championship. Then they break down the CFP selections. The 12-team playoff is doomed to be controversial as long as it is attached to a traditional format that left no room for a playoff. Notre Dame belongs in, they sa...

Hosts Blake Giles, retired sports journalist, and Jim Hardin, former Auburn walkon (who never played) review the results from rivalry weekend. Blake describes how Georgia broke Florida State’s football program, and it goes beyond the 63-3 beatdown in the Orange Bowl. And then they preview the conference championships, particularly Georgia and Alabama. Who is on the bubble of the CFP, and who is in...

Hosts Blake Giles, a veteran of four decades of sports journalism, and Jim Hardin, a devoted fan, evaluate Georgia’s convincing win over Texas. The pre-game hype for Texas was greater than the on-field version. Then, how many SEC teams will get into the College Football Playoff? And just how good No. 3 Texas A&M. It may have the weakest schedule in the league. What is the future for conference...

Georgia hosts Texas in a showdown that has been on everyone’s calendar for two years. Hosts Blake Giles and Jim Hardin review the history between the two schools. Even though that game may suck the air out of Athens, there is more going on in college football. The two review last week’s games. Georgia played a complete game at Mississippi State. Auburn discovered an offense, but its defense collap...

Hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles review the firing of Hugh Freeze at Auburn and wonder how long Georgia can keep escaping. And who is in the playoffs, and who is not. And an abbreviated look at the playoffs is interrupted by a technical difficulty that cuts off the podcast abruptly. No worry. Everybody is fine, and we will be back next week.

Hosts Blake Giles and Jim Hardin discuss the many vacancies in college coaching created by a flood of dismissals. The media focuses on other head coaches. But 14 of the current top 25 teams have head coaches who previously had been only assistant coaches. The high school season reaches its regular-season zenith as teams jockey for playoff position. And its Georgia-Florida week. Blake remembers the...

Hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles catch up with two reporters who specialize in high school sports: Sara Tidwell of the Athens Banner-Herald and Stuart Steele of the Oconee Enterprise. As the regular season winds down, they peek ahead to the playoffs. Then they all chime in on Georgia’s win over Ole Miss. On the college scene, Jim and Blake review the latest firing, Billy Napier at Florida. Is Hugh...

Hosts Blake Giles and Jim Hardin discuss the controversial call of a fumble by Auburn at the Georgia goal line. Did Kirby Smart call a timeout? Did it matter? What has happened to Auburn football, once a conference power? Is Hugh Freeze in trouble? What is the difference between first-half Georgia and second-half Georgia? Lane Kiffen likes to gig his opponents, but in a gentler fashion than Steve...

Hosts Jim Hardin, an Auburn man, and Blake Giles, a Georgia Bulldog, preview the annual rivalry game. Jim has missed only three Auburn games since 1984. They recollect the history of the series: Pat Dye, Vince Dooley, Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, the prayer at O’Hare, Joel Eaves, Buck Belue, orange jerseys, black jerseys, Pat Sullivan, Terry Beasley, Andy Johnson, Erk Russell, Joel Eaves, Columbus...

Hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles visit with former Georgia football player Russ Tanner. They are all amazed that Ty Cummings of West Laurens rushed for 615 yards, by himself. Johnson County, Russ’s alma mater, is undefeated. Georgia has an Alabama problem. How do you explain it? It used to be a Florida problem. NIL and transfer portal has evened the playing field in college football. Roster manage...

Hosts Blake Giles and Jim Hardin preview a big weekend in college football, including Alabama at Georgia, Oregon at Penn State, LSU at Ole Miss, Georgia Tech at Wake Forest, and Notre Dame at Arkansas. Blake quizzes Jim on the top 10 Heisman candidates, as listed on ESPN.com . How is it that David Weeks did not mention that his son Whit, an LSU linebacker, is dating Landry Kiffen, daughter of Ole...

Georgia outlasts Tennessee 44-41 in an instant classic, and hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles discuss that, plus Georgia Tech’s dramatic win over Clemson. Also food for thought: Auburn faces a stern test at Oklahoma, is Arch Manning just overrated, and Vanderbilt continues to impress. In the SEC, which fan bases are glad, which are sad, and which are mad? Blake caught up with David Weeks, a center...

Hosts Jim Hardin and Blake Giles review the previous week’s high school football games, and preview upcoming action. The Falcons broke their fans’ hearts in the season opener with a narrow loss to Tampa Bay. Athens Academy beats John Milledge Academy and looks set up for a strong finish. Former Georgia letterman J.T. Wall is coaching John Milledge and has a son garnering college offers. Big game t...

Blake Giles and Jim Hardin talk about the first week of college football: Florida State upsets Alabama; Arch Manning plays poorly at Ohio State; Georgia’s offense finds a breakaway receiver in Zechariah Branch, but answers no more questions; Auburn finds an offense, but does it have a defense; LSU gets a big win; Bill Belichick has a long way to go at North Carolina; on the high school front, Prin...

Hosts Blake Giles and Jim Hardin review high school football results, including a trick play called by a fifth-grader to start a game. Clarke Central Football Coach David Perno looks back at his time as the Georgia baseball coach, including a memorable regional against Clemson when he was ejected after throwing a bucket of baseballs on the field. The ploy worked, rallying his team to a comeback wi...

Blake Giles and Jim Hardin interview Athens Academy head coach Josh Alexander, and Cedar Shoals Athletic Director Dreco Thomas. They talk about Apalachee’s emotional win in the season opener, Cedar Shoals’ new coach (Coach Sharpie they call) him, GHSA transfer rules and game-winning kicks. Cam Newton’s number will be retired…at the Georgia game. Josh Alexander talks about cooking steaks. Blake rep...

Jim Hardin and Blake Giles interview Jon Richt about his new role as the head football coach at Prince Avenue Christian. Also, C.J. Dockery talks about leaping catches. And Jim and Blake talk about the beginning of the high school football season.